Headlines: Cheltenham Festival and 'one in a million' birth
Here is our weekly roundup of stories from across local websites in the West of England.We have a daily round up as well. Make sure you look out for it on the website and the local section of the BBC News app.
What have been the big stories in the West this week?
Cheltenham Festival has been the talk of the week. A man who got tickets for him and his dad but went alone after his father died has been viewed thousands of times. And Cheltenham Borough Council posted about its safe space for women under 18 during race week.There is just an 'E' left to paint before the East Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood is complete, Bristol Live reports. Work was abandoned because of protests by residents.Wiltshire 999s has published an article about a man admitting to having sex with a Shetland pony in a Wiltshire stables, who will be sentenced in May.ITV West Country has covered a 'one in a million' birth in Somerset. Five lambs have been born from the same ewe at a farm in Shapwick.And in more animal news – kind of – a video of Bristol comedian Jayde Adams singing Chappell Roan's 'Pink Pony Club' in a Bristol accent has gone super viral.
Top five local stories for the BBC in the West
Something longer to read
Somerset Live has published an article about how shopping and hospitality has changed since Covid. To mark five years since the beginning of the pandemic, the website has done a lookback on what has changed.
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The Herald Scotland
6 hours ago
- The Herald Scotland
Edinburgh Festival Fringe street theatre shows under threat
But now the festival's famous street theatre events are under threat over a behind-the-scenes financial crisis. Read more: Organisers have admitted they can no longer afford to meet the soaring costs of running official spaces for performers, who have been a familiar sight at the festival since the 1970s. Local business are being urged to help pay the £250,000 needed to meet all of this year's street events staffing, safety, security and infrastructure costs, including providing temporary toilets and storage facilities for performers. The Royal Mile is thronged with visitors watching street performers during the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. The loss of a major sponsor for the street events, a shortage of public funding for the Fringe and rising city council charges are all said to have put the free outdoor performances from jugglers, acrobats, fire artists, magicians, 'living statues' and buskers at increasing risk. The arts charity has admitted it has been 'increasingly challenging' to stage the street events since the Covid pandemic, despite scaling back infrastructure and branding to drive down costs, which is also said to have made the street events less attractive to potential sponsors. The Royal Mile during the Edinburgh Festival Fringe The society revealed it was 'actively seeking' new support from businesses to help pay for 'core elements' of this year's street events programme, but may have to use some of its financial resources to ensure they go safely ahead in August. Chief executive Tony Lankester said there was a need for further talks after this year's festival to try to ensure the street performance are more 'sustainable' in future. Mr Lankester, who is overseeing his first festival after being appointed in January, described the street events as 'world-class and vital to the vibrant atmosphere in Edinburgh each August". The society was asked by the city council to take responsibility for the increasingly street performances in 1999 following the success of a move to close part of the Royal Mile to traffic during the Fringe. The society, which negotiates with the city council and the police on where performances should take place, works with officially registered street entertainers to allocate slots for performances the three-week festival. Most of the running costs of the street events were usually met by commercial sponsors, such as the Royal Bank of Scotland or Virgin Money, the most recent backer before the pandemic. However the only public funding in place for the street events this year is a £75,000 grant from the city council, the only direct funding it provides for the festival, which has been valued at more than £200 million to the economy and sells more than two million tickets every year. The Herald can reveal that the Fringe Society faces having to pay more than £40,000 back to the council following the introduction of a new charging regime for event organisers this year. The Scottish Government has helped meet the costs of putting on the street events in recent years but has yet to confirm any support for this year's festival, which gets underway in just seven weeks. A spokesperson for the society said: 'Street events have been an integral part of the Fringe landscape since the 1970s. They remain one of the largest international gatherings of street performers anywhere, they take place throughout the festival and are free for anyone to attend. 'We took on the operational running of street events at the request of the council in 1999. The delivery costs prior to Covid were generally funded by a single sponsor, which enabled us to cover the costs of staging and supporting the events. 'Since Covid, the market has changed, and the streetscape itself prioritises performance and the movement of people over branded street furniture, making a headline sponsor challenging to secure.' The Fringe Society described the street events as 'a central part of the experience of many residents and visitors in Edinburgh each summer.' The spokesperson added: 'We work closely with the council and local businesses to ensure they are delivered each year, and we're proud of the collaborative approach we've built in recent years. 'But the burden of finding in excess of £250,000 every year for the minimum delivery of the street events is increasingly challenging. 'We are actively seeking partners and supporters who, through activation, in-kind support and donations, can help us ensure we can cover the cost of the required core services to deliver safe, open, accessible and inclusive street events for 2025.' Mr Lankester said: ''The street events are world-class and vital to the vibrant atmosphere in Edinburgh each August. 'They are an essential, iconic and unique part of what Edinburgh offers its visitors and residents and the Fringe Society is committed to making sure this remains true. 'This year we have attracted some public funding to help us deliver the project, and the work of deepening the pool of funders continues. 'We're having some good conversations with local businesses who want to ensure that the energy the project brings to the streets is retained. 'Once this summer is behind us, we urge everyone with an interest in keeping street events thriving to put their heads together to find ways of making the project sustainable, and to be an ongoing part of the summer experience in Edinburgh.' Margaret Graham, the city council's culture convener, said: 'We're proud to host the world's best and largest collection of arts festivals, and the Fringe is an important part of this. 'In recognition of and support for its enduring importance, the Council provides significant grant funding to the Fringe Society. 'The new Fringe HQ in Infirmary Street has been a collaboration between the council and the Fringe Society. This is in addition to considerable operational support from officers to help stage the event, from street management to public safety. 'All of this is in close partnership with event organisers, and I'm pleased that we have such a good working relationship. The recent formation of a festivals leadership group is helping to shape a shared vision for the future of Edinburgh's Festivals, which bring so much to the city.' A spokesperson for the Scottish Government agency EventScotland confirmed discussions were still ongoing with the Fringe Society over potential support for the street events.
Wales Online
7 hours ago
- Wales Online
Anthea Turner shares rare insight into relationship with fiancé Mark Armstrong
Anthea Turner shares rare insight into relationship with fiancé Mark Armstrong The 65-year-old TV presenter - who released her healthy lifestyle book, How to Age Well: The Secrets, in 2021 - met 59-year-old businessman Mark Armstrong in 2019 Anthea is currently with long-term beau Mark Armstrong (Image: Alan Chapman/Dave Benett/Getty I ) Anthea Turner has made her fiancé "healthier" since they met. The 65-year-old TV presenter - who released her healthy lifestyle book, How to Age Well: The Secrets, in 2021 - met 59-year-old businessman Mark Armstrong in 2019, and as she has been vocal about being active and ditching processed foods, it has motivated him to improve his body. In an interview with Woman's Weekly magazine, she said: "Mark is definitely healthier since he met me." The couple enjoy making "good food from scratch" in their London home, instead of going out to restaurants. Anthea said: "We live in London but don't go out to restaurants much. Mark comes from an Italian family who cooked and by osmosis, he learnt from being in the kitchen with his grandma and mum. "We both enjoy creating good food from scratch." Article continues below The former Blue Peter presenter and Mark "feel married" even though they have delayed their getting hitched multiple times. Anthea - who previously said the loss of her and Mark's mothers and the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic were factors in the pair postponing their nuptials - added: "We talk about it, then we don't talk about it, and then something happens. "Of course, we feel married because we've been together for six years." The star - who insisted she and Mark will tie the knot one day - insisted the pair are "very connected", and she cherishes their relationship. She added: "I am never lonely with Mark, even if he's not in. We are very connected. "I cherish our relationship and my life, probably because I realise I've got more air miles behind me than I have in front. I feel very grateful." Anthea and Mark planned to get hitched in Rome, Italy, in September 2020, and she recently revealed the special occasion will now take place "in the UK". In an interview with Bella magazine in May, she said: "We haven't sorted out the wedding - we have to get our act together. "I don't want the faff of organising anything abroad, so it will be in the UK. "God knows how many bridesmaids I'm going to have!" Anthea's first husband was BBC Radio 1 DJ Peter Powell, 74, and the couple were married from 1990 until 1998. The former Top of the Pops presenter was next married to TV personality Grant Bovey, 64, from 2000 until 2015. Anthea became a stepmother to Grant's three daughters - Lily, 33, Amelia, 32, and Claudia, 29 - when the pair got married in 2000, and despite her separation from their dad, she is still actively involved in their lives and they share a special bond. She said: "Being a stepmum for me is one of my favourite roles. "I love all three of my stepdaughters, and we have a great bond. Article continues below "I wasn't lucky enough to have my own children, but I knew I would adore these three little girls who were quite young when they came into my life. "I'm so lucky to have them in my life despite the fact that their dad and I are no longer together."
Time Out
13 hours ago
- Time Out
All of the best vegetable sculptures from the Lambeth Country Show 2025
When it comes to what you can do with vegetables, the possibilities are endless. They can be boiled, steamed, sautéed, roasted, and even turned into fabulous sculptures. Every year, the Lambeth Country Show hosts a hilarious, and frankly iconic, vegetable sculpture competition, where veg-loving artists create weird and wonderful scenes out of only the finest produce. In 2025 the competition saw Donald Trump, Chappell Roan and Mark Rylance recreated in veggie form. But who squashed the competition? And whose leaves were a major flop? Here are our favourite veggie sculptures from this year's country show. WINNER: 'Not In My Broc-Yard' It was the topic of the year: the battle for Brockwell Park. This artwork depicting a very angry broccolli alongside a grimacing 'Mark Pak-Choi-Lance' poked fun at the campaigners trying to stop festivals in the park, which help fund the free to attend Lambeth Country show. 'Not In My Broc-Yard' was one of three entries on this topic, but this feisty broccoli winning took the title with 704 likes on Instagram. Mark Rylunch and his NIMBY campeaners This entry speaks for itself. Chap-peel Roan Pop superstar Chappell Roan got a veggie makeover complete with ginger (carrot) hair. Cornclave (1 and 2) The conclave appeared in two works, as an army of baby corn elected the new pope. Trump goes pukelear Trump, tarriffs, and a stream of veggie vomit. We love the chaos of this one. Twin Leaks RIP David Lynch, you would have loved being recreated as a squash at the Lambeth Country Show. Enjoyed these? Check out all the entries on the Lambeth Country Show Instagram.
